Sunday, 27 May 2012

I spent yesterday in the sun on the back garden finishing off the paint job on another eight Caballeros. I spent so long out there I got sunburn on the back of my neck.

Here are the eight Caballeos:

Here are a few close ups.

Standard Bearer

Two Caballeros

Musician and Leader

Here is the whole lot so far, it's getting very close to 2000pts now.

I also cleaned up and did the cleaning up and 'green-stuffing' on the remainder of the El Cid models ready for a spray of primer.

Kelham Hall

Today Victoria (Mrs Scrivsland), Steve, Lesley and I went to Partizan at Kelham Hall, we had about an hour and a half mooching around the show. I failed with the 'no figure buying' and purchased another 30 Perry Miniatures First Crusades to use in the El Cid force:

So another thirty figures on the lead pile. Not much of a report on the event, there were the usual traders and some very nice demonstration games as usual. I think I spent more time catching up with old friends though.

After walking round the show, we had a picnic in the grounds of Kelham Hall, Victoria had prepared a great spread of home made pies, cakes and goodies, we also shared a bottle of Champagne.

Victoria had even bought some bunting.

Really not sure why Steve has a napkin on his head.

Bit of an Arty Shot here - Victoria took this one.

Back from Partizan I spent more time in the sun on the back garden cleaning up the new purchases, adding a bit of 'green stuff' and they have now had a spray of primer. There are rather more El Cid figures to do but it looks very much like an army now.

Friday, 25 May 2012

Lee McColl
and myself had another game of Black Powder ACW yesterday evening at MaelstromGames. Being rather lazy I reused the orders of battle from the last game I
played. This would be an encounter game of roughly even sides. Both players
would try to hold a strategically important farm house on their side of the
table, while attempting to take the other players farm house.

As we were
playing in 6mm we would use half distances.

In a
departure from the normal rules, a brigade would not be considered broken until
over half of its units were destroyed or shaken.

Union Order of
Battle

Major-General Thomas A. Rowley – Staff Value 8

First Brigade - Brigadier General Francis V.
Randall – Staff Value 8

Unit

Type

Armament

HtH

Shooting

Morale

Stamina

Special

83rd New York

Large Infantry

Rifled Muskets

8

4

4+

4

Reliable

66th New York

Large Infantry

Rifled Muskets

8

4

4+

4

Reliable

5th Michigan

Large Infantry

Rifled Muskets

8

4

4+

4

Reliable

Detachment 1st US Sharpshooters

Small Infantry

Breech Loading Rifles

4

2

4+

4

Marauders,
Skirmish,

Reliable,
Sharpshooters

4th United States, Battery K

Artillery

Rifled Artillery

2

3-2-2

4+

3

Randalls Brigade

Second Brigade - Brigadier General George C.
Burling – Staff Value 7

Unit

Type

Armament

HtH

Shooting

Morale

Stamina

Special

1st Massachusetts

Large Infantry

Rifled Muskets

8

4

4+

4

11th Massachusetts

Infantry

Rifled Muskets

6

3

4+

3

16th Massachusetts

Infantry

Rifled Muskets

6

3

4+

3

26th Pennsylvania

Infantry

Rifled Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Detachment 1st US Sharpshooters

Small Infantry

Breech Loading
Rifles

4

2

4+

4

Marauders,
Skirmish,

Reliable,
Sharpshooters

Third Brigade- Brigadier General J. H. Hobart
Ward – Staff Value 7

Unit

Type

Armament

HtH

Shooting

Morale

Stamina

Special

20th Indiana

Large Infantry

Rifled Muskets

8

4

4+

4

Reliable

3rd Maine

Infantry

Rifled Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

4th Maine

Infantry

Rifled Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

86th New York

Infantry

Rifled Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

New York Light, 3rd Battery

Artillery

Smoothbore
Artillery

2

4-2-1

4+

3

Infantry may form in either:

·Supported line –
two bases deep counting as line

·Mixed order
Supported line – two bases deep counting as mixed order line

·Extended line –
one base deep counting as skirmishers

·March column

Confederate Order of
Battle

Major-General Samuel R. Johnson –
Staff Value 7

First Brigade - Brigadier General
Basil C. Manly – Staff Value 8

Unit

Type

Armament

HtH

Shooting

Morale

Stamina

Special

8th Virginia

Infantry

Rifled
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

18th Virginia

Infantry

Rifled
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

19th Virginia

Infantry

Rifled
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

28th Virginia

Infantry

Rifled
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

1st North Carolina Artillery

Artillery

Rifled
Artillery

1

2-2-2

4+

2

Second Brigade - Brigadier General
Robert M. Anderson – Staff Value 8

Unit

Type

Armament

HtH

Shooting

Morale

Stamina

Special

8th Georgia

Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

9th Georgia

Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

11th Georgia

Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

59th Georgia

Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Reliable

Tough
Fighters

Palmetto Light Artillery

Artillery

Smoothbore
Artillery

1

3-2-1

4+

2

Third Brigade - Brigadier General
Joseph A. Hambrick – Staff Value 9

Unit

Type

Armament

HtH

Shooting

Morale

Stamina

Special

3rd South Carolina

Large
Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

8

4

4+

4

Tough
Fighters

7th South Carolina

Large
Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

8

4

4+

4

Tough
Fighters

8th South Carolina

Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Tough Fighters

15th South Carolina

Infantry

Smoothbore
Muskets

6

3

4+

3

Tough
Fighters

Infantry may form in either:

·Supported line –
two bases deep counting as line

·Mixed order
Supported line – two bases deep counting as mixed order

·Extended line –
one base deep counting as skirmishers

·March column

The figures and terrain are all from my own collection. The troops are all Adler 6mm.

The Game

The new General Lee - Scary, cheesy grin I know

The table was set up with a farm towards each players side of the table, we would try to hold our farm while simultaneously capturing the opponents farm. The area on my right was open woodland and an area in the center was walled fields.

I deployed my Brigades from left to right: Randall, Ward, Burling. Randall would try to hold my farm, Burling would advance through the woods and attempt to take the Confederate farm and Ward would support in either direction as needed.

Union Deployment - Wards Brigade is in the foreground

Lee deployed from L-R Andersons Brigade to hold his own farm, Hambricks Brigade in the Center and Manlys Brigade on his right opposite the Union farm.

Confederate Deployment

Lee had not
played before, so, in order to explain the orders system, I took the first
turn. In a fantastic display of leadership, Brigadier General Ward first
ordered the sharpshooters to occupy the edge of the woodland opposite the
Confederate farm and then the rest of his brigade stormed up in support of
them. The rest of the Union army was more sluggish. Brigadier General Randall
managed to order his sharpshooters to occupy the farm on the Union side but the
rest of his brigade sat on their packs. Brigadier General Burlings brigade
advanced slowlytowards some fields to
their front. As the Confederates were out of range there would be no shooting.

Lee too his
first turn, maybe I should start referring to him as General Lee from now on.
One Regiment of Andersons Brigade occupied their farm with the rest of the
brigade hanging back ready to provide support. Both Manly and Hambricks
brigades advanced towards the Union held farm.

On my second turn, Randalls troops moved up in support of the sharpshooters in Union Farm, and Burlings Brigade occupied the walled fields in the center of the table, Wards enthusiasm of the previous turn waned and he was unable to encourage his troops to advance against the farm. Lee countered this and we were soon engaged.

Manlys Brigade advance on Randalls Brigace holding the town.

Burlings Brigade emerge from the woods

Randall was unable to extricate his artillery, and they were soon swept away at the point of the bayonet - the first casualties of the engagement. However, it did not go all the way of the confederates as they were unable to shift the puny unit of sharpshooters from Union Farm.

Hambrick and Wards Brigades go at it

Hambrick got heavily engaged with Ward in the center, with some nifty shooting, it seemed that Hambricks troops were constantly disordered and were unable to make headway.

Manlys Brigade is driven back

Despite taking out the artillery, Manley was unable to shift the Sharpshooters and things started going the Union way around that farm. Randalls units counter attacked and were soon driving the rebels back in disorder.

Hambrick tries to make headway

Around the Confederate farm things were not going well for the Union troops of Burlings brigade, a lot of disorders from shooting and command inertia put them on the back foot, while Manlys Brigade were able to outflank them.

Manlys Brigade take the fight to Burlings

Towards the end of the game we both had a single brigade broken and in the final clash both managed to break a brigade of each others. A fair result for a good scrap.